Writing - part x235, Novel Form, Secrets and Mystery in Tension and Release

29 August 2017, Writing - part x235, Novel Form, Secrets and Mystery in Tension and Release

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy.  I'll keep you informed.  More information can be found at www.ancientlight.com.  Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon. This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.

2. Entertain your readers.

3. Ground your readers in the writing.

4. Don't show (or tell) everything.

     4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

These are the steps I use to write a novel including the five discrete parts of a novel:

 

1.      Design the initial scene

2.      Develop a theme statement (initial setting, protagonist, protagonist’s helper or antagonist, action statement)

a.       Research as required

b.      Develop the initial setting

c.       Develop the characters

d.      Identify the telic flaw (internal and external)

3.      Write the initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

4.      Write the next scene(s) to the climax (rising action)

5.      Write the climax scene

6.      Write the falling action scene(s)

7.      Write the dénouement scene

I finished writing my 28^th novel, working title, School, potential title Deirdre: Enchantment and the School.  The theme statement is: Sorcha, the abandoned child of an Unseelie and a human, secretly attends Wycombe Abbey girls’ school where she meets the problem child Deirdre and is redeemed.  

Here is the cover proposal for Deirdre: Enchantment and the School. 

Cover Proposal

The most important scene in any novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising action. I continued writing my 29^th novel, working title Red Sonja.  I finished my 28^th novel, working title School.  If you noticed, I started on number 28, but finished number 29 (in the starting sequence—it’s actually higher than that).  I adjusted the numbering.  I do keep everything clear in my records. 

How to begin a novel.  Number one thought, we need an entertaining idea.  I usually encapsulate such an idea with a theme statement.  Since I’m writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.  Here is an initial cut.

 

For novel 29:  Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates the X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk, learns about freedom, and is redeemed.

 

This is the classical form for writing a successful novel:

 

1.      Design the initial scene

2.      Develop a theme statement (initial setting, protagonist, protagonist’s helper or antagonist, action statement)

a.       Research as required

b.      Develop the initial setting

c.       Develop the characters (protagonist, antagonist, and optionally the protagonist’s helper)

d.      Identify the telic flaw of the protagonist (internal and external)

3.      Write the initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

4.      Write the next scene(s) to the climax (rising action)

5.      Write the climax scene

6.      Write the falling action scene(s)

7.      Write the dénouement scene

              

The protagonist and the telic flaw are tied permanently together.  The novel plot is completely dependent on the protagonist and the protagonist’s telic flaw.  They are inseparable.  This is likely the most critical concept about any normal (classical) form novel. 

 

Here are the parts of a normal (classical) novel:

 

1.      The Initial scene (identify the output: implied setting, implied characters, implied action movement)

2.      The Rising action scenes

3.      The Climax scene

4.      The Falling action scene(s)

5.      The Dénouement scene

             

So, how do you write a rich and powerful initial scene?  Let’s start from a theme statement.  Here is an example from my latest novel:

 

The theme statement for Deirdre: Enchantment and the School is: Sorcha, the abandoned child of an Unseelie and a human, secretly attends Wycombe Abbey girls’ school where she meets the problem child Deirdre and is redeemed.

 

Here is the scene development outline:

 

1. Scene input (comes from the previous scene output or is an initial scene)

2. Write the scene setting (place, time, stuff, and characters)

3. Imagine the output, creative elements, plot, telic flaw resolution (climax) and develop the tension and release.

4. Write the scene using the output and creative elements to build the tension.

5. Write the release

6. Write the kicker

          

If you have the characters (protagonist, protagonist’s helper, and antagonist), the initial setting, the telic flaw (from the protagonist), a plot idea, the theme action, then you are ready to write the initial scene.  I would state that since you have a protagonist, the telic flaw, a plot idea, and the theme action, you have about everything—what you might be lacking is the tension and release cycle in your scenes.

 

Here is an example of developing or building tension and release in a scene.  This example is from Shadow of Darkness an Ancient Light novel.  Sveta has become the translator for the head of the Orthodox Church.  When she returns to the convent, Father Nicolay leaves her in the Mother Abbess’ office.  There Sveta sleeps and dreams.            

 

She has her normal reaction to these terrible dreams about her captivity under the Germans.  In this case someone else is brought into the situation.

 

Here is the scene:        

 

        Sveta’s anguished screams filled the convent.  All the sisters were used to hearing them come from Sveta’s room.  At the first disturbed exclamation, Mother Anna leapt to her feet.  She made a signal for the sisters to continue in their prayers and ran out of the chapel.  Marya followed closely on her heels.

        Marya called after her, “Where are you going, Mother Anna.”

        The abbess gave a great sigh and answered as she ran, “To my office.  She is in my office.”

        Marya tendered her a perplexed look, but continued in Mother Anna’s wake.  Mother Anna unlocked her office door and ran to Sveta.  The girl lay contorted on the floor and thrashed around, “Please help her Marya.  You know exactly what to do.”

        Marya drew Sveta in her arms and began to pray her rosary.  Almost on queue, Sveta stopped struggling, and still asleep began to pray the rosary in French.

        Mother Anna stared at the two, “Does she…has she always pray in French.”

        Marya smiled without breaking her prayer, “She has always prayed with me like this.  In her beautiful French—it is always the Catholic rosary, by the way.”

        Slowly, slowly Sveta came out of unconsciousness.  She awoke like a person in a deep, deep sleep—like a person drugged and coming out of anesthesia.  Her clothing was rumpled and skewed.  She did not fully awake, but Marya knew she was no longer in her dreaming state.

        Mother Anna barred the postern door and returned to the office, “Here Marya, help me get her clothes off.” 

        They both helped the half asleep girl take off the beautiful satin dress.  Sveta had been wrong, it was truly satin, and the blue one was real silk.  Marya touched its finery, “It is beautiful and fits her perfectly.”

        “Please don’t ask Marya.”

        “She is completely worn out, Mother Abbess.  This activity will not harm her?”  Marya stared at Sveta.

        “No, this work should bring no harm to her.  You know I would not permit that.”

        “Many things we will do to protect what we know is right, still might bring harm to those who are innocent.”

        “It will bring no harm to her.  His Beatitude approves.”

        “His Beatitude?”

        “Yes.”

        Marya gave a deep sigh, “I have taken her on as my special project.  She will be the one I succeeded with to make up for all the others I could not help.”

        “Marya, you have helped many…”

        “But not as many as I desired nor as successful as I would have liked.  I don’t want any harm to come to Svetlana.”

        “I promise you, Marya.  Just, please, keep this all to yourself.  Help me in this.  It is important to the Church.”

        “I will, but I will not be happy with it.  The duplicity…”  While Mother Anna held Sveta Marya stood, “She is shivering.  I will get her clothes.” 

        Marya ran to retrieve Sveta’s nightgown.  She traveled by the postern foyer to Sveta’s room and returned.  They dressed Sveta in her nightclothes and helped her to bed.  Mother Anna returned to her office to hang up Sveta’s clothing and to relock the doors.  As she turned the key in the lock, she leaned wearily against the jam, “Dear God, I pray we are doing the right thing with this child.  Oh, God please protect her, and help her to guard us all from harm.”  She tiredly stood straight and went to bed.

Suddenly, one of the secrets is out.  Marya now knows more than she should.  This is part of the beauty of secrets in a novel.  We have little control over real secrets, but in novels, the author controls all.  In this case, I can slowly reveal the secrets just as I desire.  A secret here, a secret there.  These secrets can be like Sveta’s problems—almost completely held close.  They can be like Sveta’s language skills—let out a little at a time.  They can be like Sveta’s origins and family—unknown to nearly everyone, including her. 

 

Secrets are the most powerful tool of the writer—they are the tool of the writer.  The revelation of the plot is a secret until the author lets it out.  The revelation of the protagonist is a secret until the author reveals it.  Everything in a novel is a secret and possibly a mystery to be determined.

 

Notice, in this scene.  The reader knows about much of Sveta’s special missions and exploits.  The moment Sveta begins to cry out, the reader realizes someone will figure out some secret.  The reader already knows these secrets, Marya and the other nuns do not.  I’ve brought the reader into a close-hold conspiracy of information.  The reader realizes what is going on while the nuns and Marya do not.  The revelation is not to the reader, but rather the entertainment is that the reader recognizes the results of the events that are occurring.  This is a very complex means of entertaining and setting up the reader.

 

I also want to point out the showing at the end of the scene.  The Abbes doesn’t have a mind meld, she states aloud her thoughts.  This is the way I advise every author to present this type of information—either to another character or like this, in a statement, a prayer, a mutter, a whatever—as long as it is aloud and not in the mind.

 

I’ll give you more examples.

 

More tomorrow.

For more information, you can visit my author site http://www.ldalford.com/, and my individual novel websites:

http://www.ancientlight.com/
http://www.aegyptnovel.com/
http://www.centurionnovel.com
http://www.thesecondmission.com/
http://www.theendofhonor.com/
http://www.thefoxshonor.com
http://www.aseasonofhonor.com  

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